Microsoft has settled an antitrust lawsuit with players over its $69 million acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The final verdict was given on Monday, October 14th, 2024. Both sides notified the court to discuss the lawsuit “with prejudice,” meaning that it couldn’t be refiled (via Hollywood Reporter). Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed to the public; however, each party will bear its own costs and fees regarding the lawsuit.
Players from multiple US states filed the lawsuit following Microsoft’s proposal to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68 billion. Players argued that this would potentially see Microsoft hike prices and make Call of Duty exclusive to its platform.
“As time passes, Microsoft continues to increase its market power, prices have increased, games continue to be canceled, development capacities continue to diminish, and Game Pass continues to trend towards a monopoly,” wrote Joseph Saveri, a lawyer for the players who filed the lawsuit.
After two years of battling, though, those players were seemingly unable to uphold their complaint despite exploring all avenues, including trying to get the lawsuit seen by the US Supreme Court.
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard was finalized on October 13, 2023.
In May 2024, Microsoft announced that Call of Duty’s latest premium title, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, would be available on Xbox Game Pass on Day 1. The move marks the first time that a Call of Duty game has made its way to the Xbox subscription service on Day 1.
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